Short-handed South Team Falls Short in All-Star Game

With the the South Division roster depleted, it’s fair to say Saturday’s Ninth District Senior Legion All-Star game was one-sided.

Still the squad, which had three Warrenton High School players on it, put up a fight.

In the end though a full roster created a sizable disadvantage. The North Division rode a strong performance at the plate in a 15-5 victory at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon.

The South was missing around a dozen players, including several starters, from Washington. Those players were absent since Washington was playing in the Zone 1 Tournament at the same time the all-star game was being held Saturday night.

The local players who participated in the all-star contest were shortstop Jacob Junker, a first-team selection, and outfielder Brett Eubanks and second baseman Chad Berrey, both second-team honorees. Eubanks wound up starting in right field and playing the first five innings due to the roster shuffling.

The three players were representing the Wentzville Post 323 Senior Legion squad coached by Bob Sellers. He said the depleted roster hurt the South squad from the beginning.

“It was a little lopsided,” Sellers said. “We didn’t have a lot for them.”

The North team jumped ahead with four runs in the first inning and then plated four more in the second. Over the next two innings, the South closed the gap to five. Junker scored on a wild pitch in the third, while Eubanks followed with an RBI groundout the next inning to contribute in the brief comeback.

That was as close as the South got though.The North responded with a run in the fifth, and two more in the sixth. Leading 11-5 in the eighth inning, it added four more runs for the final margin.

“They guys got as much playing time as they wanted,” Sellers said. “As far as being competitive, we just didn’t have enough.”

As he reflected on the overall season, Sellers was happy with how Wentzville, aided with the presence of the three Warrenton players, performed.

“It was a good season all in all,” he said. “We had a good time. Maybe our level of competition wasn’t as high as we hoped. We might have counted on it being better, but I am happy with it. It’s something I’ll remember for a long time. I hope the boys that came from Warrenton feel the same way.”